Best Advanced Pickleball Paddles Australia 2026: All 32 Compared

Over $300 you stop buying forgiveness and start buying a specific feel. Every paddle in this tier has a premium carbon face, a serious core and a maker who will tell you exactly which shot it was built for. That is the problem: they all read like the best paddle ever made. At Racquet World, the Pickleball Parlour in Epping, we stock 32 different advanced models right now, and the honest answer is that about six of them are genuinely different from each other. The rest are variations on those six.

This guide covers the whole tier. That means every paddle on our shelves at $300 or more, active and confirmed in stock at variant level as at 5 August 2026: 32 models across seven brands, from $309 to $439.95. We have written up 18 of them in detail, grouped by the job they were built for, and every single one of the 32 appears in the comparison table further down with the maker's published core, face, weight and grip. Nothing has been quietly left out, and the section before the table says exactly which models we did not write up individually and why.

If you are not sure this is your tier yet, our guide to what pickleball paddles cost in Australia sets out the three price brackets and who each one suits. This post assumes you have already decided to spend the money.

What Actually Matters Over $300

At this price every paddle has a carbon face and a thermoformed or foam-filled build, so the things that separated the cheap paddles no longer separate these. Here are the four specifications that genuinely do, and the one number almost nobody publishes.

What follows is grouped by the job each paddle was built for, using the maker's own stated intent cross-checked against core construction, thickness and shape. Where a maker does not publish a number, the table says so rather than guessing. Prices and stock are live as at 5 August 2026.

Power: The Paddles Built to End Points

These are the paddles our competitive players reach for when they want to hit through the court rather than out-rally someone. Four of them use a solid foam core, which is the single biggest change in paddle construction in the last two years, and the rest use a thermoformed honeycomb core with a heavily textured raw carbon face. If you win points with drives, speed-ups and put-aways, start here.

The four foam-core paddles

A solid foam core replaces the honeycomb cells with a moulded foam block. The result is a firmer, quieter, more connected feel and, critically, far less drop-off when you hit off centre. These four are the only paddles in the tier built that way.

RPM Q2 Elongated

$369

Elongated14mm / 16mmFull foam

RPM's first full foam paddle, designed with John Kew. Elongated, and the 14mm is the hardest hitting thing we stock.

View 14mm PaddleView 16mm Paddle

Sypik Avatar Ultimate Pro

$439

16mmFull foam

SYCORE all-foam solid core, no honeycomb at all. The most expensive paddle in the range and the most stable off centre.

GreenYellowBlue

Six Zero Black Opal

$350

14mmFull foam

G4 aerospace solid foam core at 14mm, with a published swing weight of 113. The only foam core under $360.

View Paddle

Engage X2

$385

16mmFull foam

Quad-density foam core and a micro-weave carbon face. The only Engage in the range built on foam.

View Paddle

The RPM Q2 Elongated at $369 is the one to look at first. RPM built it with paddle designer John Kew as the launch model for their Q Series, and the specification sheet is unusually complete for this category: a published swing weight of 112, a twist weight of 6.0, 7.7 oz on the 14mm and a 5.5 inch handle on a 4.125 inch grip. The elongated head is what makes it hit the way it does, and the full foam core is what stops the off-centre balls dropping into the net. It comes in both thicknesses, and the 14mm is the aggressive one.

The Sypik Avatar Ultimate Pro at $439 is the second dearest paddle we stock, a shade under the TA-15, and it earns it with the core. Sypik's SYCORE is a genuine all-foam solid core with no honeycomb, and the paddle is a 16mm with a 5.3 inch handle, a 4.35 inch grip and a published spin rate of 1590 RPM. It is the most forgiving paddle in this group despite being the most powerful, which is the trade the foam core buys you. Three colours are in stock.

The Six Zero Black Opal at $350 is the value pick of the four. It is a 14mm G4 aerospace solid foam core with a Diamond Tough raw carbon face, 8.0 to 8.3 oz, a swing weight of 113 and a twist weight of 6.6. That swing weight is the highest published in the tier, level with the RPM Friction Pro Elongated, so it hits heavy and it will tire your arm faster than the Q2 will. Worth knowing before you buy.

The Engage X2 at $385 is the outlier. Engage build it on a quad-density foam core with a micro-weave carbon fibre surface and a fibreglass membrane perimeter weighting system, and its listing states USA Pickleball certification, PBCoR .43 approval and UPA-A approval. If you play in sanctioned events where the newer power limits apply, that last line is the one to check, and the JOOLA 3S and Pro IV models state it too. Our Engage range guide covers how it compares to the rest of their line.

The thermoformed carbon hitters

These use a honeycomb core, but thermoformed and edge-filled so the paddle behaves like a single stiff piece rather than a face glued to a core. Paired with a raw T700 carbon face, they generate both pace and spin.

Facolos Pro Series Elite X

$339

14mm / 16mm5 colours

T700 raw carbon over an ElasticPP honeycomb core, dual thermal compressed. The 14mm is the power build.

BlueGreen/BlackNeon YellowBlack/OrangeFluro Pink

Facolos Pro Series Nexx

$369

16mm6 colours

Triple-layer T700 raw carbon and carbon air tubes around the frame. Facolos built this one for offensive players.

Abyss FlowEmerald ShadowFuror GroveNeon HorizonSkyline DriftSolar Rush

RPM Friction Pro Elongated V2 Ryan Fu Signature

$369

Elongated14mm

The 14mm elongated V2, and Ryan Fu's own competition paddle. Built for reach, pop and aggression.

View Paddle

JOOLA Andre Agassi Pro IV Paddle

$379

14mm / 16mm

Textured carbon over JOOLA's Propulsion core, with the Tech Flex Power layup. Comes both ways.

View 14mm PaddleView 16mm Paddle

JOOLA Graf Pro

$379

16mm

The Graf shape pushes the sweet spot into the outer edges and bottom corners. 16mm, 8.1 oz.

View Paddle

The Facolos Pro Series Elite X at $339 is the cheapest serious power paddle in the tier and the 14mm is the one to have. T700 raw carbon face, ElasticPP honeycomb core, dual thermal compression and an EVA edge wall, at 225 to 235 g. Both thicknesses and five colours live inside the one product, so pick the 14mm if you want the pace and the 16mm if you want to keep some touch. The Facolos Pro Series Nexx at $369 is the more specialised sibling: Facolos wrap the frame in carbon fibre air tubes and put a triple-layer T700 raw carbon face on it, and they are explicit that it is built for offensive players. Six colours in stock. Our Facolos Elite X vs Nexx guide pulls the two apart properly.

The RPM Friction Pro Elongated V2 Ryan Fu Signature at $369 is the 14mm elongated V2, combining RPM's CarbonBite surface, DwellZone sweet spot and Tri-Density core. RPM quote Ryan Fu directly on it: this model is for the aggressive player who wants to play to their strengths. If you are choosing between the 14mm and the 16mm V2, we wrote a whole post on exactly that: RPM Friction Pro V2, 14mm vs 16mm. The full range sits in our RPM range guide.

On the JOOLA side, the JOOLA Andre Agassi Pro IV Paddle and the JOOLA Graf Pro at $379 are the two power builds of the Pro IV generation. Both run JOOLA's Propulsion core with a textured carbon fibre face, a 5.5 inch handle and a 4.25 inch grip, and both use the Tech Flex Power layup that spreads weight along the paddle instead of concentrating it in the head. The Agassi comes in 14mm and 16mm. The Graf Pro is a 16mm at 8.1 oz, and its shape pushes the sweet spot out towards the edges and bottom corners rather than keeping it central, which is what makes it feel like a bigger paddle than it measures.

Control: The Paddles Built for the Soft Game

These are 16mm honeycomb paddles where the maker's own stated purpose is dwell, placement and defence rather than pace. If you win points by resetting, dinking and making the other pair play one more ball, this is your group.

JOOLA Collin Johns Scorpeus Pro IV

$379

16mm

JOOLA build the Scorpeus for the defensive player. 16mm, 8.1 oz, carbon friction face.

View Paddle

Sypik Triton Pro 5

$349

16mm

Quantum Core V2 reinforced polymer honeycomb and a 5.55 inch handle built for two hands.

Chill MintDream VioletRise PinkSparkline

Sypik Ultimate Triton 3

$319

16mm

The cheapest way into the advanced tier from Sypik. QuantumCore polymer honeycomb, T700 4D face.

BloomGreenfallMoonlightSunduskVelora

Facolos Pro Series Elite X Widebody

$339

Widebody16mm5 colours

The Elite X in a widebody shape. Wider face, bigger sweet spot, less reach.

BlueGreen/BlackNeon YellowBlack/OrangeFluro Pink

The JOOLA Collin Johns Scorpeus Pro IV at $379 is the clearest control paddle JOOLA make. They describe it as the choice for the defensive player, and the specification backs that up: a 16mm Propulsion core, a textured carbon friction face and 8.1 oz on a 5.5 inch handle with a 4.25 inch grip. It is the paddle for someone who counters rather than initiates.

The two Sypik Tritons are the best value in this group and they are close relatives. The Sypik Ultimate Triton 3 at $319 runs a QuantumCore polymer honeycomb with an UltraSpinX T700 4D face. The Sypik Triton Pro 5 at $349 steps up to Quantum Core V2, a reinforced polymer honeycomb, with the UltraSpinX+ 4D advanced textured finish. Both are 16mm, both are 8 oz, both have a 4.35 inch grip and a 5.55 inch handle, which is the longest we stock and is explicitly extended for two-handed play. The extra $30 buys the newer core and the newer face. Our Sypik range guide compares all three Sypik models side by side.

The Facolos Pro Series Elite X Widebody at $339 is worth singling out because widebody paddles are rare at this price. It is the Elite X platform in a wider, shorter head with a multidirectional T700 raw carbon face, which trades the reach of the standard shape for a noticeably larger sweet spot. Facolos do not publish a core material or weight for this one, so we have left those cells blank in the table rather than borrow the numbers from its standard-shaped sibling.

All-Court: The Paddles That Come Both Ways

Ten of the 32 models are sold in both 14mm and 16mm, which means the paddle is not really the decision, the core is. These are the ones where you can pick the job at checkout, and they are what we hand to players who genuinely play a balanced game.

JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion 3S

$309

14mm / 16mm

The cheapest entry to the advanced tier. Propulsion core, charged carbon face, both thicknesses.

View 14mm PaddleView 16mm Paddle

RPM Friction Pro Elongated

$369

Elongated14mm / 16mm

Tri-Density core and CarbonBite face. Published swing weight of 113 on the 14mm.

View 14mm PaddleView 16mm Paddle

Pro Kennex Kinetic Black Ace

$389

14mm / 16mm

The Kinetic system absorbs shock at the handle. The arm-friendly choice in this tier.

View 14mm PaddleView 16mm Paddle

Engage Alpha Pro

$409

14mm / 16mm

DrivePro polymer core with a raw carbon skin, in three colourways and both thicknesses.

View 14mm PaddleView 16mm Paddle

JOOLA Perseus Mod TA-15 Pro Player Edition

$439.95

14mm / 16mm

The most expensive JOOLA we stock. Propulsion polymer honeycomb, carbon friction face.

View 14mm PaddleView 16mm Paddle

The JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion 3S at $309 is the cheapest way into this tier and it is a genuinely good paddle, not a token entry. Propulsion core, charged carbon face, 7.8 to 8 oz, a 4.125 inch grip and a 5.5 inch handle, in both 14mm and 16mm. If you are stepping up from an intermediate paddle and you are not yet sure which direction your game is going, this is the low-risk move.

The Pro Kennex Kinetic Black Ace at $389 is the one we recommend on medical grounds more than any other paddle in the shop. The Kinetic system puts a mass-and-damper assembly in the handle that absorbs shock before it reaches your wrist and elbow, and the Dynamic Twist System stabilises the face on off-centre hits. If you have had tennis elbow, this is the tier's answer. It is a polypropylene honeycomb core with a Carbon Fire face at 7.9 oz, in 14mm and 16mm. Our guide to the ProKennex Kinetic system explains how it actually works, and there are two more handle options covered there.

The JOOLA Perseus Mod TA-15 Pro Player Edition at $439.95 is the most expensive paddle we stock. It is a Propulsion polymer honeycomb core with a charged carbon and carbon friction face at 8 oz, on a 5.5 inch handle and a 4.25 inch grip, in both thicknesses. You are paying the top of the market for the exact pro player specification rather than for a construction the cheaper JOOLAs do not have. Whether that is worth about $61 over the Agassi Pro IV is a question the demo program answers better than we can.

The RPM Friction Pro Elongated at $369 and the Engage Alpha Pro at $409 round the group out. The RPM is the one with real published numbers behind it, a swing weight of 113 and a twist weight of 6.2 on the 14mm, and the elongated head gives you reach the standard shapes do not. The Engage runs a DrivePro polymer core under a raw carbon fibre skin and comes in three colourways, all in stock, in both thicknesses.

The 14 Models We Did Not Write Up Individually

Writing 32 separate reviews would not help you, because a lot of these paddles are the same construction in a different finish or a different signature. Here is exactly what we left out of the sections above and why. Every one of them is in stock, and every one of them appears in the comparison table below with its full specification.

Every Advanced Paddle, Side by Side

All 32 models, sorted by price. Core, face, weight and grip are the maker's own published figures taken from the product listing. Where a maker does not publish a figure the cell says so rather than carrying a guess. Every link is pinned to a variant that is in stock.

Twenty-one of the 32 state USA Pickleball approval on their listing. The eleven that do not are the Facolos Nexx, the Elite X Widebody, both Elite X signature editions, all three ProKennex Black Ace models and all four RPM models. That only matters if you intend to enter a sanctioned tournament. For club and league play across Melbourne it makes no difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most powerful paddle you stock?

If we had to name one, the RPM Q2 Elongated in 14mm at $369. Full foam core, elongated head, a published swing weight of 112. The paddles right behind it are the Sypik Avatar Ultimate Pro at $439, the Facolos Pro Series Nexx at $369, the 14mm Facolos Pro Series Elite X at $339, the RPM Friction Pro Elongated V2 Ryan Fu Signature at $369, and on the JOOLA side the JOOLA Andre Agassi Pro IV Paddle and the JOOLA Graf Pro at $379. Those seven are the ones we would put in front of anyone chasing pace, and the Six Zero Black Opal at $350 deserves a mention for its published swing weight of 113, the highest in the tier alongside the RPM Friction Pro Elongated.

Is a full foam core actually better, or is it marketing?

It is a real difference, but it is a difference in feel rather than a straight upgrade. Foam gives you a firmer, quieter, more connected hit and holds its response much better when you miss the middle. Honeycomb is livelier and most players find it more comfortable for longer sessions. Four of the 32 paddles here are foam: the RPM Q2, the Sypik Avatar, the Six Zero Black Opal and the Engage X2. Hit one before you commit, because people tend to have a strong reaction in one direction or the other. Our Gen 3 vs Gen 4 guide goes through the construction properly.

Should I buy the 14mm or the 16mm?

Ten of these models give you the choice, so it is worth getting right. Take the 14mm if you want pace, if you finish points with drives and speed-ups, and if you are happy to give up a little margin on resets. Take the 16mm if your game is built on dinks, resets and third-shot drops, and you would rather the paddle absorbed pace than added it. If you genuinely play both ways, the 16mm is the safer buy, because a thicker core makes a hard game manageable more often than a thin core makes a soft game work.

Is a $439 paddle really better than a $309 one?

Not in the way most people mean. The gap between the JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion 3S at $309 and the JOOLA Perseus Mod TA-15 Pro Player Edition at $439.95 is not a $130 improvement in performance. What the extra money buys is a specific construction, a specific balance and tighter tolerances, and whether that is worth it depends entirely on whether you can feel the difference. Plenty of strong club players are perfectly served by the $309 paddle. The one place the money is clearly doing something is the foam cores, and the cheapest of those is the Six Zero Black Opal at $350.

I have had tennis elbow. Which of these should I be looking at?

The Pro Kennex Kinetic Black Ace at $389, without much hesitation. ProKennex build a Kinetic mass-and-damper system into the handle specifically to absorb shock before it reaches the joint, and it is the only paddle in this tier designed around that problem rather than around power. Take the 16mm rather than the 14mm, and consider the long handle LG version if you hit two-handed. Beyond the paddle itself, a lower swing weight will do more for your arm than a lower static weight, which is covered in our weight guide.

Do I need a long handle?

Only if you hit a two-handed backhand, but if you do, it is not optional. Handles in this tier run from 5 inches on the JOOLA Magnus models up to 5.55 inches on the two Sypik Tritons. Anything at 5.5 inches or above will take two hands comfortably. The Sypik listings say outright that the handle is extended for two-handed play, and ProKennex make a dedicated long handle version of the Black Ace. If you hit one-handed, a shorter handle gives you more usable face and there is no reason to chase the length.

The Bottom Line

If you want power and you want one answer: the RPM Q2 Elongated in 14mm at $369. Full foam, elongated, and the numbers are published so you know what you are getting. If you would rather have the forgiveness that the foam core buys without the elongated head, the Sypik Avatar Ultimate Pro at $439 is the paddle.

If your game is control, take the Sypik Triton Pro 5 at $349. It has the newest Sypik core, the longest handle we stock, and it costs $30 less than the Scorpeus Pro IV without giving much away. If you play a balanced game and do not want to overthink it, the JOOLA Ben Johns Hyperion 3S at $309 is the cheapest sound paddle in the tier and comes both ways. And if your elbow is the deciding factor, the Pro Kennex Kinetic Black Ace at $389 is the only paddle here built around that problem.

The honest advice at this price is not to buy from a spec sheet at all, including ours. Thirty-two paddles that all cost more than $300 will all feel good in the shop for the first ten minutes. The differences that matter show up in the second hour of a hot Saturday session, and the only way to find them is to hit the thing. All 32 are in stock and ship Australia-wide, and if you can get to Epping the fitting is free.

Try Before You Buy: Our Paddle Demo Program

You do not have to guess. Melbourne players can take paddles away and hit them on their own courts before committing.

Return them on time to avoid late fees. Find one you love and the team will order a brand new one in for you.

Read more about the demo program →

More reading

• What pickleball paddles actually cost in Australia
• Gen 3 vs Gen 4: honeycomb vs full foam
• The complete paddle weight guide
• How to test a paddle before you buy it
• The full RPM range explained
• Facolos: Elite X vs Nexx
• Sypik: Avatar, Triton 3 and Triton 5
• ProKennex Black Ace and the Kinetic system
• Engage: X2, Alpha Pro and Pursuit Alpha